Quote:
Originally Posted by Jayfar
In 20-20 hindsight the City dropped the ball a long time ago on two fronts – by keeping the block zoned CMX-5 and by not designating it as a small historic district. The zoning is probably the most important element...
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Definitely. In my opinion, the city is most at fault for the damage done to Jeweler's Row. And they still haven't changed the zoning for the rest of the block as far as I know. The city should work to identify the most important 19th century blocks in center city, like what's left of Jeweler's Row, and certain blocks of sansom west of broad, and make sure the zoning matches what is there. That way there would be less of an economic incentive to tear down old three-story buildings and any that are torn down will hopefully be replaced by buildings that fit the context. I also think we should prohibit merger of lots in these areas so that we can keep the same small footprint buildings. I don't think a big swath of the city needs to be downzoned for this, but the mix of old and new is really what will make Philly special for decades and centuries to come.